Originally, Lairon would normally use a move on the remaining Magmar again.
But the Skorupi reacted instantly.
Excited, it turned around and rushed towards the remaining Magmar.
In the horrified eyes of the opponent, the Venoshock hit the Magmar again.
Although it didn't hit the vital point and failed to trigger Sniper's effect, Magmar was already exhausted from the Stone Edge and the two super-effective Rock- and Ground-type attacks from Earthquake, plus the continuous damage from the Toxic Spikes.
The sheer power of Venoshock directly knocked it out.
If it weren't for Aoki's emphasis on restraint, these two Magmar would have faced Skorupi's final attack!
"If the Sniper ability can continuously hit the opponent's weak spots, it's truly terrifying." Steven watched as Skorupi displayed its skills and sighed.
Aoki nodded.
With Steven's experience, after so many battles since he first climbed the mountain, he should have already noticed Skorupi's Sniper ability.
But this time, Skorupi had the perfect opportunity to fully showcase it.
Against much weaker opponents, Sniper's effect isn't as obvious.
Like a victorious warrior, Skorupi returned triumphantly with its head held high.
Aron called out.
It probably meant that Skorupi stole its opponent.
In response, Skorupi also called out. No one knew what the two Pokémon were discussing, but in the end, Skorupi placed its claws on Aron's neck, looking like a good friend.
"Something's wrong with these two Magmar." Aoki and Steven ignored Skorupi and Aron's interaction.
Steven agreed, "I've been to Mount Chimney a few times and have seen many Magmar, but they all live near the crater at the summit. They wouldn't rush down the mountain without reason. There's no prey for them down here."
"Magmar's body temperature can reach as high as 1,200 degrees,
Their habitat is usually in high-temperature areas. I believe the crater is the most suitable place for them. The higher the surrounding temperature, the more energetic they are," Aoki shared his knowledge about Magmar.
He continued, "Magmar usually don't leave their territory rashly. In this situation, either something happened to the volcano, or a powerful enemy appeared in their habitat—so powerful that they couldn't face it."
Hearing Aoki's words, Steven's expression became serious.
Either way, the situation didn't seem ideal.
Although Mount Chimney is an active volcano, it is usually stable and primarily emits volcanic ash, which the residents of Hoenn have adapted to. In fact, the volcanic ash has even become a distinctive feature of the Hoenn region.
If something had happened to Mount Chimney and an eruption was imminent, the consequences would be catastrophic.
Then there was Aoki's second theory—something in Magmar's habitat was too powerful for them to handle.
If that were the case, it was slightly better than a volcanic eruption.
After all, it was unclear whether Magmar's enemy was from the League or some other organization.
"I think the second possibility is more likely. Mount Chimney hasn't erupted in nearly a hundred years. If something was changing, we wouldn't be the first to know—the League has researchers monitoring it constantly. Those experts would have noticed something." Steven reasoned.
After a brief silence, Aoki added, "In any case, this situation might not be simple. We should be careful."
Steven nodded, his expression serious.
Hopefully, it wasn't something disastrous.
He had just wanted to enjoy some time away from responsibilities.
Just as Steven was about to set off again, he noticed that Aoki hadn't moved.
Steven turned around and looked at Aoki with curiosity, only to see him frowning, standing still with his eyes closed.
"Aoki, what's wrong?" Steven asked.
Aoki sighed inwardly.
If possible, he really didn't want to expose his Psychic Powers just yet.
But in the future, if he wanted to rise within the League, he would inevitably encounter other Psychics within its ranks.
His abilities would be discovered sooner or later.
And when facing powerful opponents in the future, could he afford not to use his Psychic Powers?
Of course not!
Hadn't he worked hard to become a novice Psychic and learn Telepathy just to gain a slight advantage in battle?
A single lie was enough.
The more one hid, the more lies were needed to cover things up. And when even a small lie was exposed, all the deceptions would unravel mercilessly.
So Aoki decided there was only one thing to do—accept it.
And Steven was someone he trusted within the League, perhaps similar to how he trusted Matsuda.
Since his Psychic Powers would be discovered eventually, why not reveal them first to a friend? That way, when the time came, there would be someone to vouch for him.
Aoki closed his eyes to put on a show. In reality, he had already thought through all of this within seconds after defeating the Magmar.
"Wait for me. I might be able to figure out what's going on," Aoki said, then stepped forward, approaching the fainted Magmar.
Real flames burned on Magmar's head and tail, but when it lost consciousness, the flames atop its head vanished.
Aoki pulled out a pair of heat-resistant gloves, put them on, and retrieved some healing spray from his storage space. He then began treating Magmar's external wounds.
With Aoki's skills in Pokémon care, combined with medical supplies, Magmar quickly regained consciousness.
Skorupi stood close beside Aoki, ready to intervene if Magmar became aggressive.
However, upon waking, Magmar was far less frantic and impulsive than before.
It looked at Aoki, who was tending to its wounds, and at Skorupi, the opponent that had just defeated it.
Magmar remained still.
Aoki sprayed the last dose of medicine on its cracked scales, treating the final bleeding wound.
In truth, given Magmar's natural resilience, these injuries weren't life-threatening. Without the poison, it would have regained consciousness in a few hours.
Still, Magmar knew its previous aggression had led to these wounds, and it was visibly grateful for Aoki's care.
"These are for you. The poison in your companion has been neutralized. It should wake up soon," Aoki said, placing a high-quality Pokéblock in front of Magmar.
Catching the scent of the high-grade Pokéblock, Magmar's eyes immediately brightened.